Credit Suisse has named the chairman of its Swiss unit. Currently in charge of SIX, the stock exchange operator, he once started his career at Credit Suisse.
Alexandre Zeller will assume the role as chairman of Credit Suisse Switzerland, starting October 1, 2016, the company said in a statement today.
In addition to the top job at Credit Suisse Switzerland, Zeller will also be put forward for election as member of the group's supervisory board. The bank also said it will present Peter Derendinger as member of the Swiss unit's supervisory board.
SIX Group Chairman
Zeller has been chairing the board of SIX Group since May 2013. He will resign from his position at the stock exchange operator by the end of this month, SIX said also today.
Pending the election of a replacement for Zeller, his deputy, Romeo Lacher, will assume the chair at SIX. The company promised to communicate the name of the new chairman in due course.
HSBC, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise
Before joining SIX, Zeller had worked for HSBC private bank in Geneva, acting as country head and regional CEO global banking EMEA. From 2002 through 2008, Zeller was CEO of the cantonal bank of Vaud.
Zeller, a business economist by training, in 1999 was elected to the executive board of private banking Switzerland at Credit Suisse, working in various roles until 2002.
Alpha Associates
Derendinger (pictured left) is a founding partner and CEO of Alpha Associates, an independent investment management company, dealing with private equity, private debt and infrastructure, based in Zurich.
Before founding Alpha Associates in 2004, Derendinger for a year managed the operative business of Swiss Life Private Equity Parners, whose business Alpha Associates had assumed through a spin-out on April 1, 2004.
The lawyer had also started out at CS. He joined the bank in 1989 and worked as a manager in different positions through 2001.
On Board: Thiam and Rohner
Tidjane Thiam, the CEO of the group, will also be a member of the Swiss unit's board, underlining the importance of the new unit. Urs Rohner, the CS group chairman, Alexander Gut, Andreas Koopmann and Roche CEO Severin Schwan will be the other members.
Thus, the board of CS Switzerland will look as follows, starting on October 1, 2016:
- Alexandre Zeller, as designated chairman
- Peter Derendinger
- Alexander Gut
- Andreas Koopmann
- Urs Rohner
- Severin Schwan
- Tidjane Thiam
CS Switzerland, or Swiss Universal Bank (SUB) will take up operations as an independent unit within the CS group after the necessary regulatory approval, presumably during the fourth quarter of 2016.
